Christian Evangelical Leaders Declare Support for Israel’s Right to Self-Defense

A group of American Christian evangelical leaders have signed a letter standing by Israel’s right and duty to defend itself, for the need to protect the lives of innocent Palestinian civilians, and for all Christians to pray. 

“In the wake of the evil and indefensible atrocities now committed against the people of Israel by Hamas, we, the undersigned, unequivocally condemn the violence against the vulnerable, fully support Israel’s right and duty to defend itself against further attack, and urgently call all Christians to pray for the salvation and peace of the people of Israel and Palestine,” the letter said. 

The letter, signed by 60 institutional leaders, will be delivered to the White House, Congress, and officials at the United Nations, according to Church Leaders. 

Brent Leatherwood, president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, helped coordinate the letter. He told Church Leaders the letter was a result of the public responses to Hamas’ attacks on Israel that drew a “false equivalence” with the response and actions of Israel’s military. 

“It is time for clear-eyed thinking and moral certainty,” he told the outlet. 

“Since the inception of the modern state of Israel in 1948, Israel has faced numerous attacks, incursions, and violations of its national sovereignty. The Jewish people have long endured genocidal attempts to eradicate them and to destroy the Jewish state. These antisemitic, deadly ideologies and terrorist actions must be opposed,” the letter continues. 

The letter also points to the authority of governments as given by God in Romans 13 in the Bible’s New Testament. 

“In keeping with Christian Just War tradition, we also affirm the legitimacy of Israel’s right to respond against those who have initiated these attacks as Romans 13 grants governments the power to bear the sword against those who commit such evil acts against innocent life,” the letter from the evangelical leaders said. 

“Finally, we call on American policymakers to use their power to take all forms of terrorism seriously and call governments and civil authorities to confront evil work to prevent future attacks so that the innocent and vulnerable will be protected,” the letter noted. 

“May God bring peace to the Middle East,” the letter concluded. 

You can read the entire letter here. 

A 2017 Lifeway Research study of evangelical attitudes toward Israel found that 73% of those surveyed supported Israel’s right to defend itself from attacks. 

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